Rabbi Mayer Schmukler is the founder and director of JETS, a position he has held since 2005. In his role, Rabbi Schmukler is responsible for the overall direction and development of JETS.

JETS is Rabbi Schmukler's dream-come-true, as he has long believed in the importance of building young Jewish leaders with strong capabilities in both Torah and vocational disciplines. In 2005, he won the National Science Foundation award for the fusion of Industry and Education.

Rabbi Schmukler is a Jewish educational visionary, having built thriving communities, institutions and schools for more than 25 years. Prior to founding JETS, he served as director of a Los Angeles-based youth center for Jewish teens from 1992-2002. He simultaneously built programs for young Jewish professionals, Russian immigrants and their children, including a day camp that served more than 500 children each summer.

From 1990-1991, Rabbi Schmukler led the Chabad community of Edison, NJ, a congregation of more than 200 family units.

Prior to his role in Edison, Rabbi Schmukler built and maintained new Jewish communities in the Ivory Coast, Abidjan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya and Zaire.

Rabbi Schmukler has a bachelor's degree in Rabbinical Study from the Rabbinical College of Canada, and received ordination as a rabbinic court judge by the Chief Rabbi of Canada.